Handler for semiconductor singulation and method therefor

ABSTRACT

A water jet handler ( 200 ) has a loading location ( 205 ), a cutting location ( 210 ), and an unloading location ( 215 ); and two movable mounts ( 240  and a  245 ). As a first movable mount ( 240 ) receives a molded substrate at the loading location ( 205 ), and transport it to the cutting location ( 210 ), a second movable mount ( 245 ) transports singulated semiconductor packages of a previously singulated molded substrate from the cutting location ( 210 ) to the unloading location ( 215 ). As the molded substrate on the first movable mount ( 240 ) is cut in the X direction ( 232 ) by a water jet, the singulated semiconductor packages are unloaded. The molded substrate is then transferred to the second movable mount ( 245 ) on which it is cut in the Y direction ( 272 ) to produce singulated semiconductor packages, as the first movable mount ( 240 ) returns to the loading location ( 205 ), when another molded substrate is loaded.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a handler for semiconductor singulationand more particularly to a handler for semiconductor singulation, wheresingulation is performed with a water jet system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, when packaging integrated circuits (IC), multiplesemiconductor dies are arranged on a single substrate. The silicon diesare first bonded to paddles of the substrate or leadframe by a diebonder, interconnecting wires are wire bonded between the dies andconductors on the substrate. Alternatively, flip-chip processes can beused to flip a semiconductor die over and attach the pads on the diesdirectly to the conductors on the substrate. The dies on the substrateare then packaged, such as by encapsulation in mold compound, and themolded substrate is then cut to produce a number of singulatedsemiconductor packages, each having a die encapsulated therein. Theprocess of cutting up the molded substrate is often referred to assingulation.

Typically, the molded substrate is singulated using one or more rotatingdicing saws that cut the molded substrate first along an X axis, andthen along a Y axis. A saw jig with an applied vacuum force, holds themolded substrate against a rubber pad, prior to and, during singulation,and the vacuum also holds the singulated semiconductor packages on therubber pad after singulation.

As semiconductor dies shrink in size, semiconductor packages have alsobeen reducing in size, an example of which is the Quad Flat No-lead(QFN) semiconductor package. When the rotating saw is employed tosingulate QFN packages from a molded substrate, several difficultiesarise in relation to securing the molded substrate and singulated QFNpackages during and after singulation, and in relation to the quality ofthe cut that is obtained.

The rotating saw is a contact cutting process, which exerts considerablelateral forces on the molded substrate during cutting. The vacuum forceon the molded substrate, and indeed on each of the individual packagedsemiconductor dies, must be greater than the lateral force to preventthe individual packaged semiconductor dies from moving, or worst yet,from being thrown off the saw jig.

When the size of the individual packaged semiconductor die is reduced,the holding force on it also reduces, however the lateral force duringcutting remains substantially the same, which compounds the difficultyin securing the individual packaged semiconductor dies. Hence, adisadvantage of the rotating saw is the difficulty in securing theindividual packaged semiconductor dies during cutting.

As saw cutting is a contact process, the molded substrate and theresultant singulated packaged semiconductor dies are subjected toconsiderable mechanical forces during cutting. Hence, anotherdisadvantage of using the rotating sawing, is the risk of damage to thedies in the singulated semiconductor packages, which can adverselyaffect reliability.

Some semiconductor packages, such as the QFN package, include copperportions, which are thicker than the copper portions in other types ofsemiconductor package, such as a ball grid array (BGA) package. Thethicker copper portions are both more difficult to cut through, andsmear and burr on the semiconductor packages when the rotating saw isused for singulation.

Hence, another disadvantage of using the rotating saw is the difficultyin cutting through the copper portions, without smearing and burring onthe individual packaged semiconductor dies.

One alternative to sawing is laser singulation, which is a non-contactprocess. A laser beam cuts the molded substrate by burning andevaporating material from the substrate. However, the wavelength of thelaser beam is selected by the object material, and for compositematerial like the molded substrate with copper and mold compound, thelaser absorbing rates for copper and mold compound are very different.Therefore, a disadvantage of laser singulation is that it is difficultfor the energy from the laser beam to be efficiently absorbed by boththe copper and mold compound, and thus, it is difficult for the laserbeam to cut through the package material.

Another method of singulating semiconductor packages employs a water jetto cut the molded substrate. Water jet cutting is a non-contact process,which uses a jet of water to cut through the molded substrate. The jetof water comprises a stream of extremely high pressure water with anentrained stream of abrasive particles. Water jet cutting is cool, andpossesses a low risk of heat and mechanical damage to both the moldedsubstrate and the resultant singulated semiconductor packages. Inaddition, there are limited restrictions on the material that can be cutby a water jet. Further, as the cutting force is perpendicular to thesurface of the molded substrate, there is little resultant lateral forceon the molded substrate and the resultant singulated semiconductorpackages. Hence, the force required to secure the singulatedsemiconductor packages is lower than that in sawing. In addition, thecutting quality of the water jet is good and stable, with no burring andsmearing.

Unlike the sawing or laser cutting which use one vacuum jig for securingthe molded substrate during cutting, a prior art water jet handler usestwo vacuum jigs to hold the molded substrate. This is because theextremely high pressure of the water jet cuts through almost anymaterial within about 300 mm from the nozzle that provides the waterjet. Consequently, there is a need to ensure a certain amount ofclearance or relief for the water jet, behind the molded substrate.

The prior art water jet handler has a movable chuck table with twovacuum jigs, one with relief slots in the X direction, and the otherwith relief slots in the Y direction. The chuck table can move in the Xand Y directions, and can rotate about a vertical axis, which isparallel to the water jet. Rotation about a vertical axis is oftenreferred to as displacement in the theta direction. All the movements ofthe chuck table is relative to the position of the water jet nozzle.

With reference to FIG. 1, a molded substrate for singulation is loadedonto a first vacuum jig at a loading location, and secured to the firstvacuum jig by an applied vacuum. The chuck table then moves the firstvacuum jig to a cutting location below the nozzle of the water jet,where a vision system operates with the chuck table to align the moldedsubstrate with a cutting line of the water jet system. The moldedsubstrate is then cut in the X direction as the chuck table transportsthe molded substrate transversely across the water jet in the Xdirection. For multiple cuts in the X direction, the operation asdescribed is repeated. Next, the molded substrate, which has been cut inthe X direction, is transferred from the first vacuum jig onto a secondvacuum jig, and secured by an applied vacuum. A second vision alignmentis performed, and the molded substrate is cut in the Y direction, as thechuck table transports the molded substrate transversely across thewater jet. This operation is repeated for each cut in the Y direction.The individual packaged semiconductor dies are now individually held onthe second vacuum jig, and the chuck table moves the second vacuum jigto the loading location, where the individual packaged semiconductordies are unloaded. This process is repeated for each molded substrate.

A disadvantage of the prior art water jet handler is low efficiency, asonly one molded substrate is sequentially processed at a time by thehandler, and actual cutting of the molded substrate is performed foronly part of the sequential process. Hence, the throughput of thehandler is low.

In addition, as the prior art water jet handler loads a molded substrateand unloads the singulated molded substrate at the sameloading/unloading location, the prior art water jet handler is notsuited for integration with in-line manufacturing operations, whereequipment are arranged in sequence. In addition, the low throughput ofthe handler will adversely affect the throughput of the in-linemanufacturing operations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide a handler for semiconductorsingulation and method therefor, which overcomes, or at least reduces,the above mentioned problems of the prior art.

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a handler forsingulating at least one packaged substrate into a plurality of packagedsemiconductor devices, the handler comprising:

a first movable mount for moving between a loading location and acutting location, the first movable mount adapted to receive the atleast one packaged substrate at the loading location, the first movablemount for transporting the at least one packaged substrate from theloading location to the cutting location, and the first movable mountadapted to secure the at least one packaged substrate thereon while theat least one packaged substrate is at least partially cut at the cuttinglocation; and

a second movable mount for moving between the cutting location and anunloading location, the second movable mount adapted to receive the atleast one packaged substrate that is at least partially cut at thecutting location, the second movable mount for securing the at least onepackaged substrate thereon while the at least one packaged substrate isat least partially cut at the cutting location to produce at least someof the plurality of packaged semiconductor devices, and the secondmovable mount for transporting the at least some of the plurality ofpackaged semiconductor devices from the cutting location to theunloading location.

In another aspect the present invention provides a method for handlingat least one packaged substrate for singulation into a plurality ofpackaged semiconductor devices, the method comprising:

a) providing:

a first movable mount for moving between a loading location and acutting location; and

a second movable mount for moving between the cutting location and anunloading location,

b) moving the first movable mount from the loading location to thecutting location with the at least one packaged substrate disposedthereon;

c) cutting the at least one packaged substrate in a first referencedirection at the cutting location;

d) transferring the at least one packaged substrate from the firstmovable mount to the second movable mount;

e) cutting the at least one packaged substrate in a second referencedirection, different from the first reference direction, at the cuttinglocation, to produce the plurality of packaged semiconductor devices;and

f) moving the second movable mount from the cutting location to theunloading location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more fully described,by way of example, with reference to the drawings of which:

FIG. 1 shows a flowchart detailing the operation of a water jet handlerin accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2A shows a schematic of a water jet handler in accordance withpresent invention;

FIG. 2B shows a functional block diagram of the water jet handler inFIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart detailing the operation of the water jethandler in FIG. 2A;

FIGS. 4A-4H show top views of the water jet handler in FIG. 2A whenoperating as detailed in FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5A-5H show side views of the water jet handler in FIG. 2A whenoperating as detailed in FIG. 3.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A water jet handler in accordance with the present invention has threedistinct spatially separated locations, which include a loadinglocation, a cutting location, and an unloading location; and two movablemounts. A first movable mount receives a molded substrate at the loadinglocation, transports it from the loading location to the cuttinglocation, and secures the molded substrate as it is cut in the Xdirection by a water jet at the cutting location. The molded substrateis then transferred to a second movable mount at the cutting location,and the second movable mount secures the molded substrate as it is cutin the Y direction to produce singulated semiconductor packages.Concurrently, the first movable mount returns to the loading location,where another molded substrate is loaded. Next, the second movable mounttransports the singulated semiconductor packages from the cuttinglocation to the unloading location, while at the same time, the firstmovable mount, with the other molded substrate, moves from the loadinglocation to the cutting location. Then, while the singulatedsemiconductor packages are unloaded from the second movable mount at theunloading location, the first movable mount secures the other moldedsubstrate as it is cut in the X direction at the cutting location.

The handler in accordance with the present invention, as is describedbelow, advantageously allows concurrent action to be performed, whichimproves throughput to become better than the sequential processing ofthe prior art handler. In addition, as the loading and unloadinglocations are separated, the handler can be more readily integrated inan in-line manufacturing operation.

With reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a water jet handler 200 has threelocations: a loading location 205, a cutting location 210, and anunloading location 215. The three locations 205-215 are arranged in anin-line sequence adjacent to each other, with the loading location 205at one end, the unloading location 215 at the opposite end, and thecutting location 210 between the two locations 205 and 215.

The water jet handler 200 comprises, a rectangular base plate 220 withthe three locations 205-215 thereon. The base plate 220 has an opening225 that is centrally located in the cutting location 210, and a pair ofparallel table tracks 230 on the upper surface 235. The parallel tabletracks 230 are centrally located on the base plate 220, and extendlengthwise from the loading location 205, through the cutting location210, to the unloading location 215.

A first movable mount 240 is coupled to an X direction actuator assembly299A, which moves the first movable mount 240 on the table tracks 230 inthe X direction 232 between the loading location 205 and the cuttinglocation 210. The X direction actuator assembly 299A is coupled to acontroller 299B to receive movement instructions, that control themovement of the first movable mount 240 in the X direction 232.

Similarly, a second movable mount 245 is coupled to an X directionactuator assembly 299C, which moves the second movable mount 245 on thetable tracks 230 in the X direction 232 between the cutting location 210and the unloading location 215. The X direction actuator assembly 299Cis also coupled to the controller 299B to receive movement instructions,which controls the movement of the second movable mount 245 in the Xdirection 232.

The first and second movable mounts 240 and 245 are moved independentlyby first and second servomotors (not shown), which form part of the Xdirection actuator assemblies 299A and 299C, respectively. In addition,when positioned at the cutting location 210, during cutting, the firstand second movable mounts 240 and 245 move to and fro in the X direction232, under the control of the controller 299B, to guide a water jetacross the width or length of a molded substrate.

The first movable mount 240 includes a first rotatable section 250, witha first vacuum chuck 255, and the second movable mount 245 includes asecond rotatable section 260, with a second vacuum chuck 265. Each ofthe first and second vacuum chucks 255 and 265, secures a moldedsubstrate (not shown), cut portions of the molded substrate, andsingulated semiconductor packages, thereon, when a vacuum is applied.The vacuum chucks 255 and 265 are both coupled to the controller 299B,which controls their operation.

The first rotatable section 250 is coupled to a rotation actuatorassembly 299D, the second rotatable section 260 is coupled to a rotationactuator assembly 299E, and both the rotation actuator assembly 299D and299E, are coupled to the controller 299B to receive rotationinstructions therefrom, which support alignment of the molded substratewith the water jet.

The loading location 205 includes a first video camera 270 that iscoupled to a vision system 299F, which forms part of the controller299B. The first video camera 270 is mounted on a first Y directionactuator assembly 299G, which is coupled to the controller 299B. Thefirst Y direction actuator assembly 299G comprises a first gantry 275with a servomotor 277. The servomotor 277 moves the first video camera270 in the Y direction 272 along the first gantry 275 to transport it toa desired position. The first video camera 270 is for directing at amolded substrate that is loaded on the first movable mount 240, when thefirst movable mount 240 is at the loading location 205.

In operation, the first video camera 270 captures images of the moldedsubstrate at the loading location 205 as determined by the controller299B, and provides the captured images to the vision system 299F. Thevision system 299F processes the captured images to determine alignmentof the molded substrate with a reference cutting line (not shown) of thewater jet. The controller 299B then provides movement instructions tothe X direction actuator assembly 299A and rotation instructions to therotation actuator assembly 299D, to align the molded substrate with thereference cutting line.

At the cutting location 210, a water jet nozzle 280, a height detectingsensor or distance detector 282, and a second video camera 284, aremounted on a beam 286, which is supported on second and third gantries288A and 288B. A servomotor 290, which is part of a Y direction actuatorassembly 299H that is coupled to the controller 299B, moves the beam 286in the Y direction 272 to a desired position, and thereby moves thewater jet nozzle 280, the height detecting sensor 282, and the secondvideo camera 284, in the Y direction 272, to a position determined bythe controller 299B for alignment.

When the first movable mount 240 is in the cutting location 210, amolded substrate on the first movable mount 240 is positioned by thecontroller 299B, in accordance with the cutting line reference of thewater jet based on alignment performed at the loading location 205, asdescribed earlier. At the cutting location 210, the first movable mount240 holds the molded substrate over the opening 225 to provide relief orclearance for the water jet during cutting. The water jet from the waterjet nozzle 280 cuts the molded substrate, as the first movable mount 240moves to and fro in the X direction 232 under the control of thecontroller 299B. In addition, the servomotor 290 moves the beam 286, andhence the jet nozzle 280, along the Y direction 272 from one cut to thenext in the X direction 232. In this way, the water jet makes aplurality of widthwise cuts through the molded substrate in the Xdirection 232.

The height-detecting sensor 282 detects the distance between the waterjet nozzle 280 and the molded substrate in the Z direction 293, andprovides detected distance information to the controller 299B. Inresponse, the controller 299B provides distance adjustment data to avertical actuator 292. The vertical actuator 292 is part of a Zdirection actuator assembly 299I, which adjusts the distance of thewater jet nozzle 280 from the molded substrate to a predetermineddistance i.e. in the Z direction 293, in accordance with adjusteddistance received from the controller 299B. In this way, the distancebetween the water jet nozzle 280 and the molded substrate is maintained,substantially at the desired distance by the controller 299B.

A pick and place assembly 294 at the cutting location 210 is coupled tothe controller 299B, and picks up the molded substrate from the firstmovable mount 240, after cutting of the molded substrate in the Xdirection 232 is completed. The first movable mount 240 then moves awayfrom the cutting location 210, and the second movable mount 245 movesfrom the unloading location 215 to the cutting location 210. The pickand place assembly 294 then loads the molded substrate on the secondmovable mount 245, where a vacuum is applied to secure it to the secondvacuum chuck 265. The second video camera 284, which is coupled to thevision system 299F, is for directing at the molded substrate on thefirst movable mount 240, when the first movable mount 240 is at thecutting location 210. Similar to the first video camera 270, inoperation, the second video camera 284 captures images of the moldedsubstrate at the cutting location 210, and provides the captured imagesto the vision system 299F. The vision system 299F then processes thecaptured images to determine alignment of the molded substrate with thereference cutting line of the water jet. The controller 299B thenprovides movement and rotation instruction to the X direction actuatorassembly 299C and the rotation actuator assembly 299E. In response, therotatable section 260 rotates the molded substrate to align with thereference cutting line of the water jet, thus achieving alignment.

At the cutting location 210, the second movable mount 245 holds themolded substrate over the opening 225 to provide relief or clearance forthe water jet during cutting. As the water jet from the water jet nozzle280, cuts the molded substrate, under the control of the controller299B, the servo motor 290 moves the beam 286, and hence the jet nozzle280, to and fro along the Y direction 272, and the second movable mount245 steps from one cut to the next in the X direction 232. In this way,the water jet makes a plurality of lengthwise cuts through the moldedsubstrate in the Y direction 272.

After the water jet has completed cutting, the second movable mount 245moves from the cutting location to the unloading location 215, whereanother pick and place assembly 296, which is coupled to the controller299B, unloads the now singulated semiconductor packages from the secondmovable mount 245.

With reference to FIG. 3, FIGS. 4A-H and FIGS. 5A-H, the operation 300of the water jet handler 200 will now be described.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 5A, the operation 300 starts 305 when a firstmolded substrate 405 is loaded 310 on the first vacuum chuck 255 of thefirst movable mount 240; and an applied vacuum then secures the firstmolded substrate 405 thereon. Typically, a pick and place assembly (notshown) picks the first molded substrate 405 from a previous process,such as a molding machine, and places the first molded substrate 405 onthe first vacuum chuck 255. A first vision alignment is then performed315 on the first molded substrate 405 with images captured by the firstvideo camera 270.

Referring to FIGS. 4B and 5B, when vision alignment is completed, thefirst movable mount 240 moves 320 from the loading location 205 to thecutting location 210, as indicated by arrow 415; and the second movablemount 245 moves 320 from the cutting location 210 to the unloadingposition 215, as indicated by arrow 420.

Referring to FIGS. 4C and 5C, a water jet 505 from the water jet nozzle280 cuts 325 the first molded substrate 405 widthwise in the X direction232, as the first movable mount 240 repeatedly moves to and fro in the Xdirection 232, as indicated by arrow 425. The servomotor 290 steps thewater jet 505 in the Y direction 272, and cutting 325 by the water jet505 proceeds until the whole of the first molded substrate 405 has beencut widthwise.

Referring to FIGS. 4D and 5D, the pick and place assembly 294 at thecutting location 210, then picks 330 the first molded substrate 405 offthe first vacuum chuck 255 and holds on to it, while the first movablemount 240 moves 335 from the cutting location 210 back to the loadinglocation 205, as indicated by arrow 430. At about the same time, thesecond movable mount 245 moves 335 from the unloading location 215 tothe cutting location 210, as indicated by arrow 435.

Referring to FIGS. 4E and 5E, the first molded substrate 405 is placed340 on the second vacuum chuck 265 by the pick and place assembly 294,at the cutting location 210. The pick and place assembly 294 may rotatethe first molded substrate 405 through a right angle prior to placing340 the first molded substrate 405 on the second vacuum chuck 265.Alternatively, the second rotatable section 260 may rotate the firstmolded substrate 405 through a right angle, after the first moldedsubstrate 405 is placed 340 on the second vacuum chuck 265. Next, asecond vision alignment of the first molded substrate 405 is performed345 at the cutting location 210 with images obtained from the videocamera 284.

Referring to FIGS. 4F and 5F, at the cutting location 210, the water jet505 cuts 350 the first molded substrate 405 length-wise, as theservomotor 290 moves the water jet nozzle 280 forward and backwardacross the first molded substrate 405 in the Y direction 272, asindicated by arrow 440. Here, the servomotor 290 moves the water jet 505in the Y direction 272, and the second movable mount 245 steps in the Xdirection 232 until the whole of the first molded substrate 405 is cutlengthwise. The molded substrate 405 is now singulated, and thesingulated semiconductor packages are secured to the second vacuum chuck265.

Meanwhile, at the loading location 205, a second molded substrate 410 isloaded 310 on the first vacuum chuck 255, and a first vision alignmentis performed 315 on the second molded substrate 410 with the imagesobtained from the first video camera 270.

Referring to FIGS. 4G and 5G, the first movable mount 240 moves 320 fromthe loading location 205 to the cutting location 210, as indicated byarrow 445; and the second movable mount 245 moves 320 from the cuttinglocation 210 to the unloading location 215, as indicated by arrow 450.

Referring to FIGS. 4H and 5H, at the unloading location 215, thesingulated semiconductor packages of the first molded substrate 405 arepicked off or unloaded 355 from the second vacuum chuck 265 by thesecond pick and place assembly 296. The second pick and place assembly296, then disposes the singulated semiconductor packages of the firstmolded substrate 405 to, for example, a packing machine, such as atape-and-reel packing machine.

At about the same time, at the cutting location 210, the water jet 505cuts the second molded substrate 410 in the X direction 232, and theprocess 300 continues, as described earlier for each molded substrate.

Hence, the present invention, as described advantageously provides awater jet handler that has improved throughput, and is more easilyintegrated in in-line manufacturing operations.

This is accomplished by having a loading location; a cutting location;and an unloading location, with a first movable mount that moves betweenthe loading location and the cutting location, and a second movablemount that moves between the cutting location and the unloadinglocation. A molded substrate on the first movable mount is transportedfrom the loading location to the cutting location and then cut in the Xdirection, while another molded substrate that was previously cut in theX direction at the cutting location, transferred to the second movablemount and cut in the Y direction at the cutting location, is transportedto the unloading location and unloaded.

The two movable mounts advantageously allow concurrent operations to beperformed on two molded substrates, with cutting performed at commoncutting location.

In addition, separation of the loading and unloading locations allow thewater jet handler to be more readily integrated into in-linemanufacturing operations.

Thus, the present invention, as described provides a handler forsemiconductor singulation and method therefor, which overcomes or atleast reduces the abovementioned problems of the prior art.

It will be appreciated that although only a particular embodiment of theinvention has been described in detail, various modifications andimprovements can be made by a person skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

1. A handler for singulating at least one packaged substrate into aplurality of packaged semiconductor devices by using a water jet, thehandler comprising: a first movable mount for moving between a loadinglocation and a cutting location, the first movable mount adapted toreceive the at least one packaged substrate at the loading location, thefirst movable mount for transporting the at least one packaged substratefrom the loading location to the cutting location, and the first movablemount adapted to secure the at least one packaged substrate thereonwhile the at least one packaged substrate is at let partially cut at thecutting location; and a second movable mount for moving between thecutting location and an unloading location, the second movable mountadapted to receive the at least one packaged substrate that is at leastpartially cut at the cutting location, the second movable mount forsecuring the at least one packaged substrate thereon while the at leastone packaged substrate is at least partially cut at the cutting locationto produce at least some of the plurality of packaged semiconductordevices, and the second movable mount for transporting the at least someof the plurality of packaged semiconductor devices from the cuttinglocation to the unloading location.
 2. A handler in accordance withclaim 1, ft comprising at least one water jet as the_cutting tooldisposed at the cutting location, the at least one cutting tool suitablyadapted for cutting the at least one packaged substrate.
 3. A handler inaccordance with claim 2, wherein the at least one water jet is from atleast one water jet nozzle.
 4. A handler in accordance with claim 3,wherein the at least one water jet includes abrasive material.
 5. Ahandler in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a distancedetector mounted proximal the at least one water jet nozzle, thedistance detector for detecting the distance between the at least onewater jet nozzle and the at least one packaged substrate when cuttingthe at least one packaged substrate with the at least one water jet, andthe distance detector for providing a detected distance.
 6. A handler inaccordance with claim 5 further comprising a movable mount for mountingthe water jet thereto; the movable mount being coupled to receive anadjusted distance, the movable mount for maintaining a predetermineddistance between the water jet and the at least one packaged substratewhen cutting the at least one packaged substrate with the water jet, inaccordance with the adjusted distance.
 7. A handler in accordance withclaim 1 further comprising at least one transport guide that extendsfrom the loading location, through the cutting location, and to theunloading section, wherein at least the first movable mount is movablycoupled to the at least one transport guide.
 8. A handler in accordancewith claim 7 wherein the at least one transport guide comprises at leasta pair of rails, and wherein at least the first movable mount is movablycoupled to the pair of rails.
 9. A handler in accordance with claim 8wherein at least the second movable mount is movably coupled to the pairof rails.
 10. A handler in accordance with claim 9 wherein the pair ofrails are substantially linear and extend substantially parallel to eachother from the loading location, through the cutting location, and tothe unloading location.
 11. A handler in accordance with claim 1 whereinthe first movable mount comprises a rotatable vacuum chuck for securingthe at least one packaged substrate thereto.
 12. A handler in accordancewith claim 11 wherein the second movable mount comprises a rotatablevacuum chuck for securing the at least one packaged substrate thereto.13. A handler in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a movablymounted image capture device directed at the loading location forcapturing at least one image of the at least one packaged substrate onthe first movable mount, when the first movable mount is at the loadinglocation.
 14. A handler in accordance with claim 1, further comprising asecond image capture device directed at the cutting location forcapturing at least one image of the at least one packaged substrate onthe second movable mount, when the second movable mount is at thecutting location.
 15. A handler in accordance with claim 1, furthercomprising a transfer means for transferring the at least one packagedsubstrate from the first moveable mount to the second movable mount. 16.A handler in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transfer meanscomprises at least one pick and place assembly mounted to operate at thecutting location.
 17. A method for handling at least one packagedsubstrate for singulation into a plurality of packaged semiconductordevices by using a water jet, the method comprising: a) providing: afirst movable mount for moving between a loading location and a cuttinglocation; and a second movable mount for moving between the cuttinglocation and an unloading location, b) moving the first movable mountfrom the loading location to the cutting location with the at least onepackaged substrate disposed thereon; c) cutting the at least onepackaged substrate in a first reference direction at the cuttinglocation; d) transferring the at least one packaged substrate from thefirst movable mount to the second movable mount; e) cutting the at leastone packaged substrate in a second reference direction; different fromthe first reference direction, at the cutting location, to produce theplurality of package semiconductor devices; and f) moving the secondmovable mount from the cutting location to the unloading location.
 18. Amethod in accordance with claim 17 further comprising, prior to (b),loading the at least one packaged substrate on the first movable mount.19. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising, after (f),unloading the plurality of packaged semiconductor devices on the secondmovable mount.
 20. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein step(a) further comprises providing a water jet for cutting the at least onepackaged substrate in (c).
 21. A method in accordance with claim 17,wherein (a) further comprises providing a water jet for cutting the atleast one packaged substrate in (e).
 22. A method in accordance withclaim 21 faker comprising, after (b) but before (c), aligning the atleast one packaged substrate with the water jet.
 23. A method inaccordance with claim 21 further comprising, after (d) but before (e),aligning the at least one packaged substrate with the water jet.
 24. Amethod in accordance with claim 17 wherein (b) further comprises movingthe second movable mount from the cutting location to the unloadinglocation with at least another previously singulated packaged substratedisposed thereon.
 25. A method in accordance with claim 24 wherein (c)further comprises unloading the at least another previously singulatedpackaged substrate at the unloading location.
 26. A method in accordancewith clam 20 wherein (c) further comprises moving the first movablemount in the first reference direction.
 27. A method in accordance withclaim 20 wherein (c) further comprises moving the water jet in thesecond reference direction.
 28. A method in accordance with claim 21wherein (e) further comprises moving the second movable mount in thefirst reference direction.
 29. A method in accordance with claim 21wherein (e) further comprises moving the water jet in the secondreference direction.
 30. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein(d) comprises picking the at least one packaged substrate off the firstmovable mount, moving the first movable mount from the cutting locationto the loading location, moving the second movable mount from theunloading location to the cutting location, and placing the at least onepackaged substrate on the second movable mount.